Evans Head

December 13th-16th Evans Head

We liked Evans Head so much that we have stayed here a week.  It feels like your back on one of those beach holidays from your childhood.  We have spent the days either trying to surf or body board, you will see from the pictures we still need practice!

The weather has been warm but not always dry with showers most days but nothing to spoil the fun.  We have eaten out a few times and sampled quite a few pies!

It is now time to move on, the school holidays start tomorrow and the campsite is preparing for an invasion.  We are off to Byron Bay but meeting Ade and Grace there for lunch and then they are taking us to their house.  Can't wait to seem them again.

We won't have cycled as far as we were expecting but should have still managed about 1000km.

Maria on main beach

Big black parrot thingy

Chinaman Beach

Chinaman Beach path

Ready to pop

I look much better than this, it's just a bad photo honest ;-)

Evans Head

December 11th Evans Head

It is nice here for sure so we hired body boards and got beat up in the surf.  Tomorrow we are going to get surfboards.  We caught lots of good waves but I had forgotten how tiring it is!  There is no camp kitchen here just an undercover BBQ area so we are using the gas stoves which are proving to be a great buy!

We had a downpour for about 30 minutes, it absolutely bucketed it down!  Thunder, lightening and then suddenly blue skies again.

Got a dvd out to watch in the tent, we are certainly comfortable campers!

December 12th Evans Head

Body boarding in the morning and longboards in the afternoon.  I am a bit rusty but managed to stand up on the first wave!  Maria did just as well but it was hard work.  I think we can manage at least a couple more days here!

Now where do we put the surfboards?

Cycling Iluka - Evans Head

December 10th 67km

John took me to the bike shop in Ballina at 8.00am they parted me from $150 and we were back before lunch.  The manager had let Maria stay in the cabin until we were ready to leave, not the usual 10.00am check out.  By early afternoon I had fitted the wheel loaded up and we were on our way.

This time we made it with no dramas.  The ride wasn't as nice as the recent days as we spent quite awhile on the highway but the shoulder was good and the trip fast.  Once in Evans Head we found a site right next to the beach at a bargain $21.50 a night.  There is a super market here, a board hire shop and several takeaways and resturants.  I think we will stay here a few days instead of Byron Bay.

Thai for dinner tonight and a bottle of wine!

I hate spiders! Good job it was on the otherside of the window

Big Mean Looking Spder

Cycling Iluka

December 9th Iluka - Iluka!

Well things did not go according to plan today!  We headed out in good time and after about 17km came to a little village and stopped to take photos of kangaroos grazing.  I held Maria's bike against mine as I always do and after a couple of minutes we moved on.  The it all went a bit wrong, my front pannier must have been dislodged and dropped off the rack into the front wheel.  I was travelling at about 20kph and the wheel locked up and sent me flying over the bars.  I managed to unclip mid air and did my best roll when I landed.  Surprisingly I had hardly a mark on me but the front wheel was a write off!

The next chain of events restores your faith in human nature!  First off John Murray a local handyman stopped to help and he took us and our bikes back to Iluka.  I was cutting it close to get to the ferry so he rang the skipper and made sure he didn't leave without me.  On thee ferry crossing I spoke to another John who had done alot of bike touring himself, we chatted and he wished me luck as I headed off to the bike shop.

Now the bike shop is small but the guy there couldn't be more helpful.  He didn't have a wheel but made loads of enquiries for me and eventually it got down to giving me some numbers of more bike shops to see if they could help, he even let me use his phone.  He could get me a wheel in about 5 days but I needed one sooner and one of the shops had one in stock, trouble was it is 90km away.

My options were to buy a temporary wheel of him for $60 (he said if I was going the other way he would lend it me and I could leave it at his mates bike shop!) then ride to the shop which is sort of en route and pick up the new one.  Ride to the shop on Maria's bike and bring it back 180km round trip or get the bus or hire a car.  I did try a courier but as it is the weekend I still wouldn't get it for 5 days. 

I rang the car hire, too much.  Bus only went one way each day so would involve an over night stay.  I was thinking it would be the long ride.  I had time to burn until the return ferry so I had a couple of beers followed by fish and chips for lunch.  As I sat waiting for the ferry I chatted to a local cyclist who had a new wheel he said I could have for $40.  Another local this time a woman turned up and saw the wheel then gave a Vodka breezer!  On the ferry I had another beer to help me decide the best options and just as I got off the other side John the guy I had chatted to on the way over came up and offered to take me to the shop in the morning!  180km round trip for a guy he had chatted to for 30 minutes, he had even popped in to the bike shop early to see if I was sorted.

I couldn't thank him enough and Maria had booked us into a cabin tonight and the manager had done us a good rate out of sympathy I guess.

Lots of help from total strangers, would you get this in the UK, I would like to think so but I am not so sure!

Another ssign for the collection, it turns out emus haven't been seen here for 4 years though.

Hop It!

I blame the kangaroos for the wheel!

Can you spot the $150 problem!

Cycling Grafton - Iluka

December 8th Grafton - Iluka 68km

Later start today, mainly because of the comfy bed not the beers!  The ride was nice today with most of it being on really quiet roads and about as flat as you can wish for.  We passed farmers harvesting sugar cane and then took a short ferry ride before stopping for coffee in Maclean.  The road got a bit busy here with less of a shoulder but we were soon riding into Yamba.

Yamba is a relaxed tourist town with all the cafes and and restaurants to go with it.  We decided to take the ferry to Iluka as we are riding from here tomorrow and want an early start.  The ferry crossing was very pleasant and the campsite right on the riverside as you get off the boat.

We set up, had a look around the little village and chilled out watching a dvd.

Yet another Ferry

Cycling Coffs Harbour to Grafton

December 7th Coffs Harbour to Grafton 87km

Nice ride today on quiet roads and we even managed to dodge most of the rain.  Got the tent away mostly dry and once out of town the directions were a piece of cake.  One big hill right at the start then just undulating all the way.  Made good time though and averaged just under 20kph for the day.  Not the most scenic but nice and quiet with no truck drivers trying to squish you.

As the rain is forecast we went for a room in a pub.  What a result, having a couple of beers whilst blogging sweet!!

Double Decker Bridge at Grafton

Christmas Decorations Ho Ho Ho

December 6th Coffs Harbour

Today has been a rest day but to be honest has just been running around.  We have sorted visas for Thailand, more money!  For that we needed photos and money orders as well as going back and forth to the travel agents.  We could have done it in Sydney I suppose or Brisbane if we go there but at least it is done now.

Because of that we haven't really looked around Coffs Harbour, we haven't even been to the harbour infact!  The trip in Oz is not about the bike ride unlike NZ.  In NZ the ride was enough ass the views were awsome and the roads quiet.  Here the rides are ok but the beaches are great.  Because of this we have been taking shorter day rides to visit the small beaches on route.

We only have about 4 or 5 days riding to get to Byron Bay where we intend to stop for awhile before we visit our friends.  Lets hope the weather picks up as it is the coldest start to summer they have had for a generation, just our luck!!!